Mitch Johnson kept the tone controlled after the San Antonio Spurs delivered a 133-95 playoff win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. The result evened the series and marked one of the most lopsided postseason losses in Minnesota franchise history.
Johnson immediately pointed to uncertainty around Carter Bryant’s availability, saying, “He’s trending. He’s looking well,” while adding, “I’m not sure if he’s gone through the pregame testing to make sure he’s good to go, but expecting him to play, if not tonight, the next game for sure. So hoping it’ll be tonight.”
Despite the dominant scoreline, the Spurs coach repeatedly returned to execution details rather than celebration. After reviewing film, he said, “Just areas that we can be better in. Obviously, we thought there was some game plan execution stuff that we can clean up, and then obviously some things that Minnesota did well that we want to improve upon.”
He framed the matchup as part of a larger playoff adjustment cycle. “No different than any other game,” Johnson said, while adding that both sides “came away with some things that they felt like they did well and also they could do better.”
One of the few outside talking points was Minnesota’s complaint about missed goaltending calls, but Johnson dismissed it quickly. “Nothing. There’s a lot of uncalled plays in the game, and I didn’t go back and keep track of all of them,” he said, before adding, “I’ve got enough things to worry about trying to continue to clean up some stuff on our end.”
A major internal focus was Victor Wembanyama’s workload. The French star logged heavy minutes but maintained control late in the game. Johnson was direct: “I thought he handled it great,” and added, “Whatever we wanted him or he desired to be better at, I don’t think was anything due to fatigue or the minutes he played.”
He also highlighted recent development in the star’s conditioning. “He’s shown a tremendous growth in his fitness and playing through physicality,” Johnson said, pointing to sustained improvement across the season and postseason stretch.
Role players also drew attention, especially Julian Champagnie’s late-game impact. Johnson said, “We’ll take it,” referring to a contested shot late, but quickly pivoted to broader issues. “There’s a laundry list of things that happened prior to that moment that we can be so much better at.”
De’Aaron Fox’s usage was another focal point, with Johnson saying, “I’m happy with the usage,” and emphasizing his balance: “I always want him to be more aggressive… but I think he does a great job of understanding that balance.”
As the Spurs prepare for Games 3 and 4 in Minnesota, Johnson closed with a reminder that the series is far from settled. “When you win, you’re never as good as you thought you were. And when you lose, you’re never as bad.”
The message matched the performance: dominant on the scoreboard, restrained in expectation.
